


The man from Duscur

by astracrits



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dedue Molinaro-centric, Dedue Week, Gen, He's the best man ever, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:27:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22138558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astracrits/pseuds/astracrits
Summary: Dedue Molinaro, a man who doesn't need words to be described. Even if he sometimes can be invisible, he will never be forgotten. A man of a big heart but little words. The man from Duscur.
Kudos: 7





	1. Forest and Nature

**Author's Note:**

> This is prompt 1 "Nature" for Dedue Week! The title of this prompt is "Forest and Nature"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The forest is a quiet place where some can go and reflect on some things, but for some... the nature seemed to be much more.

“I seem to find you here more than usual. The woods don’t seem to be a place for many, but for the few ones that do come here? Feels just like home.” The woman told the man as she looked at the green trees. There were multiple shadows casting unlimited forms over the grass. Animals prowled freely on their territory, and butterflies flew around. It was a nice, quiet place that not a lot of the residents of the Officer’s Academy in Fódlan knew about.

For Shamir, it was a place she could come and practice her archery in peace.

But for Dedue, it was something entirely different.

“Ah, Shamir.” Said Dedue. He was leaning on a tree, looking under a specific pine that cast a shadow of a rabbit running. His gaze didn’t turn to her, but he still replied, “Yes, I believe I’ve been coming here more as of lately.” His voice denoted almost the same neutrality it always had, but Shamir could notice a hint of sadness. It was characteristical of Dedue, but this time it seemed different.

“I come here to practice archery without Catherine saying she can do better than me, not to talk with anybody, so, if you’ll excuse me.” She lifted her bow to Dedue, who still wasn’t looking at her.

“That is fine, Shamir.” The taller man continued watching the tree.

For Dedue, the forest was a quiet, lonely place where he could think alone. The nature seemed to call out to the Duscur man, let him reflect on everything that his life was, reminisce of the good old days, allow his anger to pass. It was a world different than what he experienced at the Monastery.

And how could anybody blame him for wanting to be by himself? He was shunned by most, if not everybody at the Monastery thanks to what happened in his homeland. Dedue was being named guilty for the massacre by the people, who entirely disregarded the fact that Dedue’s people were slaughtered as well, with him being the only survivor. He needed to get away, not hear anybody calling him names, looking at him with angry faces. Dimitri’s protection was good, it was welcomed, but it wasn’t enough to sate the people’s anger. Dedue couldn’t bring himself to let his lord and friend take the blame for protecting him. That was the last thing he wanted to let Dimitri go through.

That penance was his, and his alone.

So, the forest was a place he could find peace with himself. Nature wouldn’t point its finger at him, it wouldn’t tell Dedue he was responsible for the King’s death. Nature was not going to allow him feel miserable--a thing he did almost every day of the week. It allowed him to do whatever he wanted without any remorse, walk tall and not in the fear of somebody shouting at him, say whatever he wanted without anybody calling him names.

Nature was kind to him, the only good thing Dedue had in his life--aside Dimitri--that brought him happiness.

“Ah… I suppose it’d be kinda rude of me if I didn’t say anything else, is it?” Shamir returned to Dedue. “So… What brings you here today?”

In all honesty, Dedue didn’t want to answer her, but she was a knight of Seiros, as well as an instructor at the Academy. He just couldn’t pretend Shamir wasn’t there, even if he wanted to. “Shamir, if I may.” This time, his gaze fixed on the woman. “There is no need to speak unless we absolutely must. So by your leave--” Dedue stopped when he realized the way he was speaking. “My apologies, Shamir. I should have not--”

“Chill. It’s fine.” Shamir raised an eyebrow and added a smirk. It was a rare sight seeing Dedue speak his mind freely, without Dimitri’s shackles unconsciously restraining from saying what he felt. “I see you don’t ever say what’s on your mind if it’s not regarding Dimitri or something related to him.” She slang her bow to her shoulder and shifted the weight to her other foot. “I’ll leave you alone if you’d like, but I hear speaking your mind freely helps a little.”

Dedue thought for a moment. Did he really want to say everything that was on his mind to Shamir? Voice every concern, worry or regret? Even if he did try and restrain himself on what he said, did he trust himself to be able to do so? He was sure of many things, but not that one. He couldn’t bear speak ill of something and have Shamir reveal that to Dimitri, or turn out to be a hateful person too. He knew she was laid back, coming from somewhere off Fódlan, but he didn’t know her enough to vent whatever ailed him.

With a heavy heart, and a pretend smile, Dedue shook his head slowly. “There is no need, Shamir. I must bear this burden alone. Please, continue with your activities, I shan’t bother you, I’ll be silent.” He forced another smile.

They could be there together, Dedue decided. He didn’t need to say anything to her. He didn’t say anything to anybody who found that place by chance, he just kept to himself, or told them how to get out of the forest. The nature seemed to be a place only for him, where he could either talk out loud or stay with his thoughts.

“If you say so. I’ll go someplace else, though. Don’t wanna bother you.” She said as Dedue sat on the grass. Shamir took some steps before she stopped, turning her head to give him a sideways look. “This is a nice place, but it would really help you to talk to somebody, joke around or something, doesn’t have to be anything too big.” With that, she walked off into the trees, her small form seeming to blend into the shadowy imagery.

Dedue stayed there, one leg bent and the other outstretched on the grass, silent as he ever was. He looked at his hands, where the multiple formless designs were painting his hands. At that very moment, Dedue felt at peace. There was no need to scream or shout, defend Dimitri from anything, take whatever was thrown at him. The only thing Dedue could do was smile. He was at peace, he was free, if only for a moment, but he was there.

And when he was feeling like that, his mind always went to a happier place, where there was no war and no hate, only a big forest where nature was prominent everywhere. The trees not only were just trees, now, they were giants that covered the sky, with many branches to climb and reach the skies. The shadows were bigger now, and the forms they made seemed like living beings, playing in a peaceful environment. The leaves continued rustling, echoing in Dedue’s head in a soothing tune. And the warm breeze felt like a tornado that lifted him and placed him on the clouds.

Yes, that’s what Dedue felt nature was like. A separate world from the tragedies. A world where he could be the happiest.

A world he needed to show Dimitri too. Because while he sometimes hated how he put himself on the line for him, Dedue considered him a good friend—perhaps his only friend. He needed to show him his secret place. Perhaps they could spend a nice, quiet afternoon looking at the shadows.

They now made different forms with the setting sun. There weren’t rabbits anymore, now, there were birds, flying freely over the air, jumping from tree to tree. They flew all around, unrestrained by any laws. Oh, how Dedue loved that view. He could watch it for hours, for all his life. The multiple shapes told multiple stories, of beings that never knew the horrors the world could present. Everything there was, was the green looming all over the place. The forest was a nice, quiet place that not a lot of the residents of the Officer’s Academy knew about.

And for Dedue, the forest, the nature, was truly an astounding place.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Visiting the place you called home could bring back good memories to some, but maybe not for others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is prompt 2 of Dedue week! Honestly I would've named it something else, but the name of the prompts themselves sound very good.

Dedue walked through the vast, desolate land. His thoughts, as well as the land, were entirely empty. Of course, he didn’t need to think of everything else at that moment, not that he could, either. He felt somewhat devoid, like the man that was walking through the cold field wasn’t entirely Dedue.

And perhaps he wasn’t, maybe that person’s way had to continue further.

A lot of years had happened since he left that place—or rather, was taken from it. And yet, his memories were so vivid.

A small house on a hill, where the sun beamed its light onto a bed of flowers. Daisies, roses, lilies, all around you could see the beautiful garden that decorated the house. To the side, a small river ran its course, fishes swam through it, to get to a bigger pond hidden behind some bushes. Various trees grew fruits there too, one of the rarest spots due to the kingdom’s harsh climate. There was even a small beehive that Dedue loved messing with.

Then, on the house, you could see the small, yet important decorations that the family had. A few frames were taken with a photograph tome, of a small kid with white hair smiling brightly. A proud father, wearing sturdy armor to serve his kingdom. A caring mother, with worry lines marking her face due to her son being careless and getting hurt, but with a kind smile as well. Further in, to where the small living room divided into the kitchen and the other rooms, was Dedue’s. He loved being there, reading about knights and heroes of war. 

Outside the house, where the road could still be somewhat seen, were multiple houses that rose and lowered in size. Each with their own story to tell. A family of five struggling to make ends meet, a lonely man who left his fight to become a farmer for the people, an old lady who the kids nicknamed “the witch”, and countless others persons. 

However, in the instant where Dedue closed his eyes for a moment and opened them once more, there weren’t houses or trees. All there was... were the remains of the tragedy that happened in Duscur. Two years after the empire waged war on Fódlan, and inevitably lost, the remains of the annihilation of Duscur were still present. The scorched land where raging fires and mage magic once singed everything was still black, and the pungent aroma of death and burned wood was still there. Trees could no longer grow on that toxic land. Empty houses were still decaying, with some small weeds bringing an older, more ruined look at the whole place. 

This was Duscur, many years after its demise. 

But it still was Dedue’s home. 

He continued walking through the scorched earth, ignoring the intrusive thoughts that came into his mind, that made him see the carnage he witnessed years ago. That was something he never told anybody, not even Dimitri. It became a recurrent dream of his own too, but he learned not to wake up screaming so as not to worry his lord. Deep inside him, he wished that he could stop seeing those images of his home, to instead see the good old days where he was happier, but the more he walked in, the more he found it difficult. 

Perhaps it was his mind not allowing him to live inside an illusion, to make him acknowledge what happened here and remind him that this was his present. 

But… not all things should stay like they are, Dedue knew that deep in himself. After all, he did survive his execution, he rescued Dimitri, and together, they saved Fódlan. 

Dedue continued walking along the road. The chilly breeze made some of his strands of hair flap despite the hood he was wearing. He approached what seemed to have been a big, open, circular area. The communal space. Dedue spent so much time playing there with his friends that that space became his usual spot. It was everybody’s since they were united people. 

He used to go there every morning, Dedue always woke up quite early, along with all the other children, so they all could play around, pretend they were knights too and try to save the queen from an evil knight. Other times it was all of the kids gathering there to see a talent show by a mage, or dancers, even knights telling their war stories.

Dedue walked further into where the path started splitting. He could see the debris of the destroyed houses to the side. He knew them, or so he thought. Whatever was there looked entirely unrecognizable. He walked closer, he could see that there were some old photos and books, only that when he approached the house, it came down on a cloud of dust and burned wood. 

Not wanting to see more of the image, Dedue pressed further. He was not looking where he was going, for he didn’t know exactly if he was going somewhere. There were no more traces of civilization there, no matter how hard he wanted there to be.

His feet stopped suddenly, and Dedue focused on what was ahead. He was on a hill, where the sun was beaming its rays through thick clouds. There was a small patch of green that looked like a sore thumb against the brownish and black burned area. Beyond that, there was a small trench that was wet, or rather… the remains of a river. The small piles of mud took form, becoming dead fish that once wanted to swim towards the pond, which was dry as well, becoming a dry moat.

His... home?

Dedue couldn’t bear any more. He was a strong man, but there are only so many things you can take before you break. He sank to his knees, where a tear quickly escaped his eye and fell to the ground, over a piece of a portrait that was too decayed it crumbled to pieces when he tried to grab it. It was too devastating.

But that wasn’t the reason he went into the remains of Duscur, no. Dedue had something else in mind. War was over, his king and friends safe, there was no need for more pain, more senseless bloodshed, terrible memories.

He was there to make new ones, to rebuild what he once lost. He took a piece of wood and threw it to the side, going through what seemed salvageable to assess the whole situation. Dedue was decided. Even if he was the only survivor of Duscur, he would make sure his town, his home, would rise again.

He worked hard, going through everything he could with newfound hope in him. To honor everybody there, he would give it his all. There was little left to keep, but whatever he could find would suffice, either mementos of dead Duscurans or materials, he would bring the village back to its former glory.

“I was expecting to see you here. You always wanted to come back.” It was a voice he knew very well. The voice of the man who stood by his side always.

Dedue stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Dimitri behind him. “Di--your majesty!” He shot up, hoping his big form was covering what he was trying to do. Even if Dimitri had been by his side all along, who knew if deep inside he really wanted to help Dedue rebuild his home. “I… what are you doing here? And without an escort?”

Dimitri chuckled. The mere thought of Dedue hiding that from him… “You wound me, Dedue. Do you think I’m so shallow I wouldn’t let you come here? I was worried about you, you suddenly disappeared, leaving me nothing but a letter that said not to look for you.”

“I had expected the king to at least do me one favor,” Dedue chuckled. He stepped aside to let Dimitri see the pile of usable wood and the mementos he gathered from the village. “I’m… I’m sorry, Dimitri. I’m trying to rebuild my... home.”

“This was really always your home, was it not?” Dimitri said with a slight smile. He took some steps towards his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll help you rebuild it.”

“M-my king, no! I can’t let you!”

“Why? We know your people didn’t kill my father. Duscur has been cleared, I made the announcement myself,” he felt sad about Dedue not letting him help, but he understood his feelings. Years of repression and hate had taken its toll on him. “Dedue, I told you before that I was your friend and more. I vow to you today, we will rebuild Duscur back to how it once was. This, I swear on my life.”

Dedue couldn’t bear hearing that, but at the same time, he was filled with extreme happiness. It showed on the smile he gave his king, his friend. It told him everything he needed to say. “I would like that very much, Dimitri.”

“I know this is your home, Dedue. I swear I’ll help you.”

“In all honesty, my king. You became my home the moment Duscur stopped existing,” he embraced the blonde man, a hug harder than any he had ever given before--or given at all. He even lifted Dimitri off the ground. “I am grateful for that. I came here not seeking to build a home, as I already have one. I came here to rebuild something that was taken from me unjustly. With you here, I think I can do that.”

“Home is not a material place, is that it?” Dimitri asked, already knowing the answer. “I feel the same, friend.” He smiled at Dedue once more.

The sun shone down on them. The land looked like it had more life, like it was finally recovering. Maybe the place could be transformed, maybe someone who needed a house could finally have one, maybe they could create newer, happier memories.

_Maybe it could be a home._


End file.
